Device for the indication of the fertility period of women



Jan. 5, 1954 P. ADLER 2,665,062

DEVICE FOR THE INDICATION OF THE FERTILITY PERIOD OF WOMEN Filed Sept. 18, 1951 IN V EN TOR. PHI/L ADLE/E BY g/FvW Patented Jan. 5, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR THE INDICATION OF THE FERTILITY PERIOD OF WOMEN The invention relates to a device for the indication of the fertility period of women.

In conformity with investigations and observations made by Knaus, Ogino and several other medical authorities, the biological phenomena during the menstruation cycle, such as particularly the conception period and the ovulation time are well defined, whereby it is made possible to predict the fertility period. This prediction, prior to pregnancy, is'of decisive importance for the protection of the mother and the children.

Several tables and calculating devices have been devised to enable the layman to obtain reliable information on the-fertility period. However, these known devices have grave disadvantages. Some do not consider the variation of the menstruation cycle sufliciently and are therefore misleading; others have the grave disadvantage of failing distinctiveness and perspicuity; accordingly, the user often does not know how the device is to be applied and how the desired information is to be found.

It is the primary object of the invention to eliminate these disadvantages of the art and to enable the layman to simply and reliably determine the various factors dominating the menstruation period.

The invention will now be described more in detail and with reference to the accompanying drawing showing a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is a si'de view, with portions of the covering broken away, of the fertility period indicator forming the subject matter of this invention and Fig. 2 is a. part sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

A cylindrical member a and a cylindrical member b are loosely and rotatably superposed upon each other. To prevent axial displacement of outer cylinder 2) upon inner cylinder a cylinder 12 abuts against a step-shaped end portion of cylinder a. The opposite end portion of cylinder b abuts against a ring d, which is integrally mounted upon cylinder a; the latter projects at both its ends beyond cylinder 12. The integrally united members a and d will be denoted as cylinder ad.

The outer cylinder 2) is, at its periphery, provided with three adjacent number rows e, f, g and a fourth number row m.

The inner cylinder ad is provided at its outside with three adjacent number rows 1', 7'. k and its step-shaped end portion carries a number row 71..

The two groups of number rows a g and z, 7', k are adjacently located on cylinders 22 and ad, forming an even peripheral surface.

A rotary sleeve n encircles the number rows carrying cylinders; this sleeve is provided with two preferably rectangular observation openings 0 and 10, each of which is dimensioned to make one of the two above referred to number rows visible. The one observation opening 0 is coordinated to the number rows e, ,f, g of the rotary member b and the second observation opening p to the number rows 1', 7', k of the rotary member ad.

Three circular, concentric legends qi, q2, q3 are applied to the outer face of sleeve n denoting the names of the month of the year; these legends are coordinated to the number rows e, f, g, i, y, k in such a manner that the outermost circular legend qi denotes the months of January, March, May, July, August, October, December having thirty-one days, the second legend q2 the months of April, June, September, November and the innermost legend (13 the month of February.

In the position shown in Fig. l, legend q3 coordinates the two inner peripheral number rows 9, i to the month of February, legend 112 the adjacent number rows ,1, 7' to the month of April, June, September and November having thirty days, and legend ql the outer number rows e, k to the residual months having thirty-one days.

The numbers which appear in the observation opening 0 indicate the start and the numbers appearing in the observation opening p indicate the end of the fertility period.

The rotary sleeve 11 is provided with a mark 11. for the purpose of associating this sleeve with the individual days l-31 of a monthly scale r, this mark n to be aligned with the first day of the menstruation period.

The monthly scale 1 is applied to a projection of a. third or accessory cylinder s, which is located on the left portion of sleeve 7?. and is designated to take a predetermined position relative to the two cylinders ad and b; accessory cylinder s is, for this purpose, provided with a mark s adapted to refer to the two number rows h and m.

Cylinder s at the same time serves to lock the two rotary members b and ad in their mutual positions; it is provided with an internal gear s", which cooperates with the circumferential gears a and b of the rotary members ad and b. The cylinder 8 can be axially displaced to engage or disengage the gears, whereby a mutual adjustment of the cylinders is enabled.

The number row it refers to a maximum dura- 3 tion in days of the normal menstruation cycle of a certain individual, whereas number row m refers to its minimum duration.

The difference between the numbers of the two rows h and m corresponds to variations of the length of the menstruation cycle of the individual female.

When the cylinder s is in the engaged position, it covers the two number rows h and m.

The mutual rotation of the two cylinders ad and b is limited in conformity with the maximum fluctuation of the cycle length to be expected in each individual case. With this purpose in view, the one cylinder 1) has a peripheral groove t of a limited length and cylinder ad a pin 11., which cooperates with groove t.

The cylinder 11. is provided with a notch device and accordingly stepwise turnable in conformity with the monthly scale 1', the steps corresponding to the scale graduation. The notch device includes a snapper 12 the latter coopcrating with the internal gear s", Fig. 2, of cylinder s, which with its end portion r projects over the inner end of cylinder n, Fig. l. The snapper v is carried by a leaf spring 0, which is located in a peripheral groove b of the cylinder b and has an approximately elliptical shape, Fig. 2. The bent-E ends 1) of the spring 12 may enter into a slot of the cylinder n, whereby the snapper '0 is secured in its position relative to this cylinder. The snapper '0 projects through a recess n of cylinder 11..

A shell to is provided, which may be pushed over the cylinder 11., whereby the numbers and other parts of the device are protected and rendered invisible from the outside.

The cylinder a has a center cavity x, which may be closed by a cover y. The cavity may be used for storage purposes, for instance, the storage of notes. The application of the device in practice will now be described.

For instance, on the basi of observations of a certain female, which were extended over a period of at least 8 to 10 months, it was found, that the length of the menstruation cycle varied, between 26 to 28 days.

The device is used, as follows.

The accessory cylinder 8 is disengaged from the toothed rings a, b and hereupon moved over the number row m in such a manner that the mark s is located above number 26. Hereupon, inner cylinder ad. is rotated relative to the accessory cylinder 8, whereby also the outer cylinder 1) is rotated in such a manner, that the number 28 of number row 71. is aligned with mark s hereupon, both cylinders ad and b are locked by complete inward displacement of cylinder s.

If, for instance, the menstruation period which precedes the pregnancy period, commenced on August 22, the mark n of the rotary member 11 is aligned with the number 22 of the monthly scale '1', a shown in Fig. 1. The start of the pregnancy period may now be read in the observation opening 0 as being August 31st, Whereas the end of this period appears in the other observation opening p as the sixth day of the successive month.

If the menstruation period commences on November 22nd, a pregnancy period would result from the first until the seventh of the successive month. If, however, the menstruation period commences on February 22nd, the pregnancy period would start on the 3rd day of the following month and be terminated on the ninth day.

The two observation openings 0, p may be replaced by one extending over all six member rows 6, f, g, i, a, k; however, a separate observation opening may be provided for each of them.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the novel principles of the invention disclosed herein in connection with specific exemplifications thereof will suggest various other modifications and application of the same. It is accordingly desired that in construing the breadth of the appended claims they shall not be limited to the specific exemplifications of the invention described herein.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patents, is as follows.

1. A device for the determination of the fertile period of women comprising a first group of the two mutually movable members having number rows, one of these members being provided with a row of numbers denoting in days the shortest menstruation cycle of the individual woman in a period of time of at least six months and with adjacent number rows denoting the initial dates of the fertile period within the various month groups having an equal number of days, the second member being provided with a row of numbers denoting in days the longest menstruation cycle of the individual woman in a period of time of at least sir; months and with adjacent numer rows denoting the end dates of the fertile period within the various month groups having an equal number of days, said two members being mutually adjustable depending upon the individual cycle variation of the individual woman in such a manner that the number denoting the shortest cycle will be aligned with the number denoting the longest cycle, a third movable member provided with numbers 1-31, said third member being adjustable relative to said first two members in a position where an index on the third member is aligned with the numbers denoting the shortest and the longest menstruation cycle of the individual woman and a movable mask having an indicator mark and adapted to be aligned with one of the numbers 1-31 of said third member, this mask being provided with at least one slot through which the initial and the end dates of the fertile period are visible.

2. In a device according to claim 1, the first and the second movable members being provided with means to secure said two members in a mutual position depending upon the individual cycle variation of the individual woman in such a manner that the number denoting the shortest cycle will be aligned with the number denoting the longest cycle, the third movable member being provided with means to be secured in a position relative to the first two members, where an index of said third member is aligned with the numbers denoting the shortest and the longest menstruation cycle of the individual woman.

3. In a device according to claim 1, the first, the second and the third movable member consisting of mutually rotatable cylinders and the mask consisting of a tube of which one end is closed, said mask being adapted to he slipped over the first and the second movable member and being provided with a legend indicating the group of the month to which the numbers refer, indicating the fertile period visible through at least one slot of said mask.

In a device according to claim 2, said means to secure the first and the second rotatable member consisting of an outer indentation on each of said members and means to secure said third member on said first and second member, said securing means consisting of an inner indentation on said third member.

5. In a device according to claim 2, the third movable member bearing the numbers 1-31 and being adapted to cover in the secured position the two number rows on the first and the second movable member, said member rows referring to the shortest and the longest menstruation cycle.

6. In a device according to claim 1, the movability of the first and the second members being controlled by the maximum admissible difference between the shortest and the longest cycle.

7. In a device according to claim 1, said mask is provided with means to stepwise secure said mask relative to the numbers 1-31 applied to said third member.

8. In a device according to claim 7, the third rotatable member being provided with numbers 1-31 partly projecting over said mask and a looking device consisting of a leaf spring, which is loosely located in a groove of the movable member which is provided with a row of members de- 6 noting the shortest menstruation cycle of the individual woman and with adjacent number rows denoting the initial dates of the fertile period, said spring bears a nose loosely projecting in an opening of the mask, said opening shape conforming to said nose, which cooperates with an inner indentation of the third rotatable member.

PAUL ADLER. 

